EVERLASTING WATERS

By John Santosuosso

"For though from out our bourne of Time and Place

      The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

      When I have crossed the bar."

                        Alfred Lord Tennyson, "Crossing the Bar"

      The next time as you enter a liturgical church pause for a moment before you look for a place to sit. It is not always the case, but often you will find the baptismal font close to where you are standing. That is no accident. It is part of what we believe. Baptism is the sacrament by which we acknowledge we are part of God's family and belong to God forever. After baptism at some later point in life if you find yourself at the banks of the River Jordan and feel a strong desire to be baptized again, go ahead and do so, but it is not really necessary. Once you are part of God's family you cannot be evicted. You are part of it forever. Actually the Bible appears to indicate that even before we are born God has plans to eventually bring us into the family (Jeremiah 1:5).

      The theology of St. Paul the Apostle has played a key role in shaping the foundation of Christian theology, especially its Protestant version. However, perhaps the Protestant Reformation went so deeply in this direction that in baptism we often see it only as a rite for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 22:16). We can agree with Paul that forgiveness is a valuable treasure. Especially during this season of Lent we do well to remember that. Still, we need to be aware of the rest of the story. In baptism God claims us as one of his beloved children. God is fully aware that "the kids" do not always do the right thing. God loves us anyway. This of course is not a license to be destructive.

      If you are not baptized will you go to hell? You could if you drive to Hell, Michigan, or visit the Hell post office on Grand Cayman Island. Sadly some well-meaning people both inside and outside the church see baptism as some sort of heavenly fire insurance. Being baptized will not keep you out of hell nor will failure to be baptized, or use enough water, or infant baptism send you there. Baptism is more like a sign that God is at work. Baptism reveals that God is on our side and has a gift for us that is the most valuable thing we can possess.

      The gift is God's perfect and eternal love. Try and reject it and you are going to lose every time. You see God has eternity to destroy evil and rebuild the creation. When we are finally worn out resisting God's love, God is just getting started. We are family. God always seeks out the lost sheep, the straying family member. Failure to do so would mean God's love is less than perfect, and that just is impossible.

      The next time you attend a baptism, wherever it may be, think about what you are witnessing. There is more going on here than babies crying or laughing and proud family members beaming, although those may be delightful signs. We are actually witnesses to the love of God at work. God is claiming yet another member of the family, one who is "sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked Christ's own for ever." (BCP)

      So if this is true, why is there suffering in the world and wicked people who resist love in any form? I am not smart enough to answer that. I will not try. Just remember God has eternity on God's side. Ultimately it is not the love of God but suffering and evil that will perish.